iZombie: Salivation Army

"This is Seattle, not Sleepy Hollow!"

Where to begin? This is a truly epic finale that changes everything, introduces a new baddie and seems to fire the starting gun on the zombie apocalypse. If it wasn't for the fact that it features the lead singer of the awful Matchbox Twenty as himself it would be truly awesome, but we can't have perfection. It seems Du Clark likes fake grunge crap, which is truly evil. At least Blaine likes the real thing.

The whole episode consists of Liv, Major and Clive in a mission to Max Rager to infiltrate a party while everything goes wrong and wild zombies- I love the way they're referred to as "Romeros"- are let loose. I suspect next season will be very different. 

At last Clive now knows everything and can play a full part in this big episode, full of big things happening. Don E is shot as Me Boss takes over. Drake becomes a Romero, which sucks for Liv but probably bodes well for her and Major. Blaine helps Ravi to save Peyton- his character is clearly being majorly revamped.

We end with Du Clark, after much twirling of his moustache, getting his comeuppance at the hands of a bunch of hungry Romeros as Major lets him doe. And it seems we have a new big bad, with a zombie now in charge of Max Rager...

An awesome episode of an awesome season of an awesome series. iZombie deserves to be much more ubiquitous.

iZombie: Dead Beat

"Juries today- they've seen every episode of CSI!"

Oh dear. Major has been arrested and evidence of him being the Chaos Killer looks pretty damning from the FBI's point of view. Not that it matters; far before that happens he will turn into a zombie in prison and start the apocalypse (although, surely, some random zombie is bound to be strayed and imprisoned at some point anyway; the apocalypse is inevitable). Oh, and Ravi has to explain it all to Liv.

I love the awesome lawyer provided by Max Rager, but this whole episode is adrenaline-fuelled and awesome. We discover that Major's frozen bodies have vanished, presumably because of Max Rager. Du Clark is going to sell the company to a military contractor for loads of money. But through it all is the suspense of whether Major will get his brains in time. It's truly nail-biting.

The real punch-the-air moment, though, is Liv finally telling Clive everything... and dramatically proving to him that she's a zombie. Finally! Clive, being a good bloke with integrity, immediately releases Major- at the horrible cost of his relationship with a furious Dale. We end with a vision of the once frozen zombies in a cage in Du Clark's basement. This is truly addictive telly.

One more to go...

iZombie: He Blinded Me... with Science

"You Americans and your violence!"

This week's murder victim is a research scientist who ends up burned to a crisp; cue Liv acquiring scientist brain. We also get some rather dramatic arc stuff to remind us that the season finale is not far off.

Ravi learns that Blaine is a zombie again, and Blaine learns that his days are therefore numbered. While Liv and Clive navigate a good if a little perfunctory murder mystery involving a pair of twins and Max Rager being used as a red herring, Major calmly explains to Vaughn do Clark that he slept with his daughter and Liv rather naughtily does some undercover work behind Clive's back- will this come back to bite her? And what of the captive full-on zombie in Max Rager's basement that Liv sees clearly in a vision?

This is, perhaps, a rare example of the murder mystery plot feeling like an afterthought with all the arc stuff going on; iZombie is usually perfect in judging this balance. But it's an exciting and entertaining episode, especially the (admittedly predictable) ending where Liv, suspecting Drake to be a bit dodgy, arranges to confront him... and he doesn't turn up because Major kidnaps him. Ouch.

But even that doesn't beat the unexpected moment where Rita is scratched by the Max Rager captive zombie, and is imprisoned by her increasingly pantomime villain-sequel father...

iZombie: Method Head

"You know what would be fun? A zombie show where the zombie's the star!"

iZombie is back after the Christmas break, and this time the murder takes place on the set of Zombie High, a TV show. It's all a bit metatextual and the murder mystery side delivers well.

But there are all sorts of arc threads going on at full pelt. To start with, Ravi has to confirm to Liv and Major that there's no way they can have sex without him developing a sudden taste for brains. We're now very focused on the quest for that tainted utopium, now narrowed down to a mere 100 acres.

Liv is still in the doghouse with Clive, although that situation, predictably, doesn't survive the episode. They were never just going to drop the format like hat and iZombie, while not rigidly so and while very much running with multiple plot arcs, is nevertheless a very formulaic show deep down, and long may it remain. Unless, you know, they do something else cool.

Anyway, Liv on actor brain is cool. Major is having to tread an increasingly fine line with the delightfully villainous Vaughn Du Clark (an absurdly Frenglish surname, that), and Dale of the FBI is on Blaine's trail. iZombie just continues being brilliant.

iZombie: The Hurt Stalker

"They're like drummers in Spinal Tap..."

It's an interesting twist: Clive's stalker ex is murdered with his gun and he's a suspect, if a little half-heartedly, meaning he's off the case and Liv and Ravi get to show what they're made of. It's also a good showcase of Clive's character- calm, methodical, good under pressure, but with individual quirks and a deadpan humour. This is the best Clive episode yet, showing a hinterland of gumbo cuisine and Game of Thrones fanboyishness, which really goes to open him up as a character.

Meanwhile, Liv has paranoid stalker brain, which makes her paranoid about Major and is not good for her relationship. It's also an episode that sees her spend a few days in jail until she's released- and given brain- just in time. We get a final revelation that Major has a secret- he's keeping the engagement ring. He has hope.

For once the mirder mystery is a bit perfunctory- acceptable every now again- but this is a fine character episode.

iZombie: Real Dead Housewife of Seattle

"I've never had a lady who lunches for lunch..."

This week is a particularly well-constructed murder mystery, playing by the rules, and the revelation of the killer is particularly satisfying. That box is ticked, and it's an important one. But we also have characterisation, and a story arc that is gathering pace.

Major is still being made to go after zombies for Max Rager, and kidnaps a particularly nice-seeming one. Vaughn, from Max Rager, had sex with the victim, who was married to an important member of the board, and is threatened by him... leading to death by zombie. And yes, as the wife and I thought, Liv's new roommate Zilda is a Max Rager spy... and she's seducing Major.

Meanwhile, Peyton is back- and she's been appointed district attorney and effective utopium czar for Seattle. I wasn't expecting that. It's also nice to see that she's calmed down, is fine and realistic about Ravi moving on, and is still a good friend to Liv. But where is her arc going?

A particularly good episode in a series that continues to be brilliant. More please.

iZombie: Grumpy Old Liv

"Are you eating that or impregnating it?"

Time to start a new (and slightly longer) season of iZombie, and Liv is estranged from her family who, for obvious reasons, do not and cannot know why she refused to give blood for her gravely injured brother Evan. It's deeply unfair, potentially very upsetting viewing and thus not dwelt upon. We shall have to wait and see if there's a good narrative reason for it happening.

In the meantime, though, Liv is doing what she does, eating brains, having visions and solving crimes. This week's cerebellum-based meal is a bitter, gimpy and vaguely racist old man. The racist side is, again wisely, not dwelt upon. 

Meanwhile, Major is still aimlessly unemployed and Peyton is still AWOL. Liv has a new roommate who is described as being boring because she works for her country's tax authority. Ahem. Still, at least she's made interesting at the end by virtue of being an undercover spy for Max Rager. The killer (spoilers) has a t-shirt emblazoned with "T-shirts are passé" which made my wife and I laugh. He also has his alibi of watching Arsenal vs Chelsea in a pub, and correctly refers to the sport as "football", yet he's an American in America. Wow. We may have buggered up our relations with all our neighbours a few years ago, but it seems the relentless march of British sports continues apace, even into the USA. 

Oh, and Blaine is now a funeral director, using the brains of the deceased to feed his zombie clients. Lovely. But, if he doesn't help Liv find the story behind the tainted utopium, the side effects of the cure may kill him. It seems he isn't quite in control. Even worse, we end with Max Rager blackmailing Major into embarking on a zombie killing spree. It's a superb start to what promises to be another brilliant season.

iZombie: Blaine's World

"Nice ball sac..."

So, to the finale. Blaine has Major at his mercy as the Max Rager conspiracy finally gets exposed. Oh, and Peyton finds out that Liv is a zombie under viokent circumstances and runs away, appalled. It was bound to happen. Will she back and, if so, as friend or foe?

It's a firmly awesome finale, setting up new threats as du Clark seeks to use zombies to produce "Supermax", which will mean consumers no longer need to sleep. And Liv gives up her apparently last chance for a cure to use on Blaine, a suitable Guinea pig for a solution that killed a rat. Suzuki dies heroically in the end, covering up his corruption. It's all very neat.

But the ending is heartbreaking as Liv's brother is caught in the explosion and she's asked to donate her blood. But she can't...

This has been an unexpectedly addictive,entertaining and intelligent series. A season of True Blood next and then I'll be blogging Season Two...

iZombie: Mr. Berserk

"Liv, you're off the case..."

At last the Max Rager stuff moves centre stage as a journalist investigating the drink's propensity to cause violence is murdered. Liv's ingestion of her brain makes her tenacious and alcoholic, which is not inconvenient. It's more good telly.

In other conspiracy news, Suzuki is covering for Blaine; he knows where his brains are coming from. And the fallout from Lowell's death continues as the truth has to be hidden. That's three separate conspiracies. Paranoid much? You really tend to sympathise with Major.

Especially when Clive comes close to sectioning him. It's a very arc-heavy episode.

Major checks himself into hospital as Liv drinks and investigates. It's clear Max Rager are guilty but it all gets rather dangerous, insidious and exciting as Liv ends up having to go into full-on zombie mode to avoid being murdered. Unfortunately her prospective killer is now a zombie, and Max Rager are still uncaught. 

It's getting exciting and the season finale is still in sight in the least story-of-the-week episode yet, but iZombie is still as awesome as ever.